FAT LOSS – EATING DISORDERS: ANOREXIA NERVOSA AND BULIMIA
May 8th, 2009 | Posted by admin | Category: Weight LossNo Comments
Anorexia nervosa is essentially an under-eating disorder in contrast to the over-eating problems associated with the development of obesity. Bulimia is essentially a mal-eating disorder, as is the obsessive over-eating of specific nutrients that is associated with bulking, such as in body building, which will not be discussed in detail here. This latter pattern of mal-eating is more likely to occur in males because of the social ideal of bulk in men. The vast majority (90 per cent) of sufferers from anorexia and bulimia are women, although it is acknowledged that this may change in the future with changes in social and gender attitudes.
Both anorexia and bulimia have potentially severe, and possibly fatal consequences. Amongst individuals admitted to hospital for anorexia, the mortality is more than 10 per cent, death resulting usually from starvation, suicide or electrolyte imbalance. The long term outcome of bulimia is unknown, but disturbed eating behaviour may last for several years. Both anorexia and bulimia focus the individual’s attention almost exclusively on dissatisfaction with one’s own body size and shape, idealising the thin, androgynous figure and equating this with success, happiness, strength and discipline, and fat with failure and lack of attractiveness. The inter-relationship between anorexia and bulimia is complex. Some anorexia sufferers will at times binge and vomit and some bulimia sufferers have also suffered from anorexia, although they may now be normal weight.
For the counsellor, there may be times of concern as to what constitutes a ‘healthy’ attitude towards body maintenance, fat loss and eating, as opposed to a dysfunctional one. Both anorexic and bulimic clients may present themselves for assistance with weight loss, body building and exercise programs, any of which may inadvertently feed their disorder.
Myth-information. Massage can help improve circulation and enhance relaxation, however it has no long term physical effect on body fat loss or fitness.
*219\186\4*
THE G.I. FACTOR: WHAT IS A BALANCED DIET?
May 8th, 2009 | Posted by admin | Category: DiabetesNo Comments
It makes sense to balance our food intake with the rate our bodies use it. This way, we maintain a steady weight. These days, however, this balance is difficult to achieve. It is very easy to overeat. Refined foods, convenience foods and fast foods frequently lack fibre and conceal fat so that before we feel full, we have overdosed on kilojoules. It is even easier not to exercise. It takes longer to walk somewhere than it does to drive (except perhaps in peak hour). With intake exceeding output on a regular basis, the result for too many of us is weight gain.
We need to adapt our lifestyle to our kilojoule-laden diet and fewer physical demands. It’s become very important to catch bursts of physical activity wherever we can to increase our energy output. It may mean using the stairs instead of the lift, taking a 10 minute walk at lunch time, coasting on a treadmill while you watch the news, reading on the stationary bike, making more effort in the garden, walking to the shops to get the Sunday paper, parking a kilometre from work, or taking the dog for a walk each night. Whatever it means, do it. Even housework burns kilojoules. All these seemingly small bursts of activity accumulate to increase our kilojoule output. You don’t have to take exercise seriously, just regularly.
While you work on increasing your kilojoule output, the G.I. factor can help you select the best foods to balance your intake. Its high carbohydrate basis ensures a filling diet which isn’t packed with kilojoules.
So, our first message is to reduce the amount of fat you eat. This applies to all sorts of fat: saturated, polyunsaturated, monounsaturated. (Caution: A low-fat diet is good for most of us, but it is not appropriate for children who rely on fat for growth.) But the flip side of this message is to eat more carbohydrate because this will automatically reduce your fat intake. The following chapters tell you how you can eat more carbohydrate and which foods you should choose to replace fatty foods. It also goes one step further and tells you which carbohydrates are best for health—and why.
*9\33\4*